Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The decline of breaking news in radio ... the media reaction to the New York Post's "chimp" cartoon ... and, a study identifies two types of pundits. Panelists: Mike McKean, Lee Wilkins, Charles Davis.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

No, we're not killing the radio version of Views! But we are ADDING a new video version starting tomorrow. Watch the blog for a link to streaming video of this week's program. You know you're dying to see what we look like! Beginning with NEXT week's show, we'll also stream it live when we tape it (at 11:30 am on Wednesdays) just in case you can't wait until 6:30 for your Views fix. If all goes well, we'll add more opportunities for you to interact with the Views crew in real time. Keep watching, listening, or both.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Columbia's main commercial news-talk station fires the remainder of its news staff ... questions about transparency in the Columbia school superintendent search ... and, the AP threatens to sue an artist over the use of an image. Panelists: Mike McKean, Lee Wilkins, Charles Davis.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sensationalism is a difficult charge for journalists to refute. Often, it comes down to an "I know it when I see it" response.

But, the recent coverage of the California octuplets certainly qualifies. Not only have news organizations devoted an extraordinary amount of limited air time and newsprint to this story, but much of what has been published and broadcast smacks of voyeurism. And, rather than providing real news coverage, journalists have contented themselves with interviewing the mother and her family--and of asking questions that ask for opinion rather than asking for opinion in response to fact. These are easy stories. They are emotionally appealing (in the sense that they provoke emotion), but they display little critical thinking on the part of journalists.

Here is one set of stories I applaud: interviews with physicians and medical ethicists about the appropriate standard of care. These stories could be localized--in general, they have not been, even though infertility afflicts many in the mid-Missouri region.

Here is the set of stories I would like to see: inquiries into whether the California departments of social services are taking a look at the case and others like it; inquiries into the help the mother's church and community are providing to the family; an inquiry and publication of how much money, if any, various news organizations are paying the mother for her story. All of this can be done without vilifying the mother while asking difficult questions about the role of civil society in events such as this, including the role of the news media.

This news event has been treated in a sensational way. But, it does not have to be.

When you speak only to yourselves, people, you get a resounding echo. Consider these two tidbits from a busy week, in which none other than a sitting member of the United States Senate called the stimulus "the socialist way..."

In their own minds:

Congressional Republicans are "so far ahead of where we thought we'd be at this time," according to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who is thrilled his party is "standing on our core principles" against President Obama's recovery plan. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) agreed, saying that what "will give us a shot in the arm going forward is that we are standing up on principle and just saying no."

...and, everyone else in the reality-based community?

Sixty-seven percent of Americans approve of how President Obama "has handled the government's efforts to pass an economic stimulus bill," according to a new Gallup poll. Forty-eight percent approve of how congressional Democrats have acted while only 31 percent approve the performance by congressional Republicans. Fifty-eight percent disapprove of the GOP's actions.

Hmmmm...perhaps publicly cheerleading for the destruction of the US economy maketh bad politics?